The very Spanish name of the Tempranillo grape variety indicates early ripening; tempranillo can be translated from Spanish as “early”. Its widest distribution is on the Iberian Peninsula. In Portugal, the red grape with its characteristic fruity notes is known as Tinta Roriz, which sounds like Tinto Roros.
Description of the variety
Blue Tempranillo berries are the raw material for fine wines and ports. At the moment of ripening, the cylindrical bunches, narrowed at the bottom, appear bluish due to the matte coating covering the round berries.Their color under the whitish coating is dark purple. There is also a variety of this grape with yellow fruits.
Tempranillo is native to Spain and has been cultivated here since the 13th century. The good adaptability of the variety allowed winegrowers from the USA, Australia and Argentina to grow wine berries in their climatic conditions.
Characteristics of the variety
The variety is self-sufficient; flowers of both sexes appear on it, which is necessary for independent pollination. The vine is strong and hardy - up to 25 eyes on each of the twenty 7-meter shoots. The leaves are large with deep dissection, clear outlines.
During the season, up to 5 kg of berries ripen on one bush. They fit tightly to each other, forming an almost symmetrical cone-shaped cluster.
Characteristics of berries:
- weight - 8 g ± 1 g;
- length - 17 mm ± 1 mm;
- the pulp is juicy, transparent;
- the skin is thin, dense;
- The weight of the bunch reaches 600 g.
The future taste of the wine depends on the choice of climatic conditions in which the Tempranillo crop matures. The skin of the grapes is responsible for the richness of the color of the drink - thin skin gives only a tint, but the thick, dense skin of the berry can truly color the drink.
The acidity of the berries directly depends on the weather of the area where the crop ripened. The higher the temperature and the brighter the sun over the vineyard, the lower the acidity level. When choosing a lowland for planting vines, the winegrower predicts future harvests based on low acidity levels.
The highest acid content is observed in vineyards located on rocky, gentle slopes.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The disadvantage of this variety for Russian winegrowers is that climatic conditions affect the taste. From raw materials grown in Russia, the wine is obtained with a weakly expressed bouquet.
High adaptive ability to soils and climate gives hope that in central Russia this grape variety will be able to produce harvests with high tasting characteristics.
The berries of this grape variety contain many substances beneficial to human health, but not everyone can eat them - the fruits are too sour, the astringent effect that tannin gives.
In rainy seasons, unlike other varieties, flowers and berries on Tempranillo bushes hold tightly and do not fall off. But even in favorable conditions, the ripening of the crop is not higher than 85%, which largely depends on the density of the berries in the bunches.
Features of cultivation
The best taste qualities are observed in the grapes of this variety, grown on a slope rising 700 meters above sea level. Here the grapes receive the maximum possible sunlight. Due to daily changes in air temperature, a balance of sugars and acids is ensured.
The best place for Tempranillo is considered to be Ribera del Duero, where the temperature fluctuates: during the day it reaches 40 °C, and at night the mercury stays at 16 °C. At the moment, Tempranillo is the only grape crop that can grow and produce excellent yields in such difficult conditions.
The best conditions for growing wine varieties are fertile soil rich in lime, which is also not typical for many grape varieties. When caring for a bush, you need to use organic fertilizers and fertilizers with extreme caution; grapes of this variety are extremely sensitive to them. Planting of seedlings in the Krasnodar Territory, Mordovia, and Dagestan is carried out in the second half of May, when severe cold snaps cannot occur even at night.The bush reaches its maximum yield in the 3-4th year after planting.
Care
The Tempranillo grape bush, which is capricious to conditions, requires careful care, which is expressed in:
- installation of supports;
- the need to cover the crop for the winter;
- triple prevention against pests during the season;
- pruning;
- crown formation;
- soil drainage;
- ensuring regular hydration;
- mulching rows.
When choosing a place for planting, you should take into account the following features of the variety - Tempranillo is afraid of drought, winds, and frost.
Formation of the vine
The crown is formed once per calendar year. Pruning in the spring involves removing 80% of last year's growth, up to the 6-8th eye. Only healthy, strong bushes should be pruned.
Top dressing
Single-component and combined preparations are suitable for feeding grapevines:
- "Aquarin";
- ammonium nitrate;
- potassium salt;
- "Kemira";
- "Novofert";
- "Solution";
- superphosphate;
- "Florovit."
Due to the characteristics of the variety, combined fertilizers containing organic matter are best avoided. The need for a particular mineral for a plant can be determined by analyzing the soil on which it grows.
Protection from diseases and pests
Fungicides are the main preventive tool that can defeat the looming threat to an elite grape variety at the initial stage of development.
Processing scheme:
- During the period of bud swelling, a remedy for oidium fungus and red grape mite is needed.
- When 4-5 leaves appear, mildew and gray rot are prevented.
- At the stage of bud opening, repeated treatment against oidium and all types of wood and fruit mites is necessary.
- During the process of pouring berries, preventive treatment is carried out with a systematizing fungicide.
- At the stage of compacting the bunches, treatment with an agent against all types of rot is required.
By adhering to this schedule of preventative treatments, you will be able to avoid serious diseases caused by fungi and insect pests.
